Nostalgia Abounds: Tea Sets Galore!

By Jade MillerQuailBellMagazine.com

_Now that the holiday season is over, it’s time to look forward to the next holiday when you can spoil your loved one. Instead of the traditional chocolates and flowers for this Valentine’s Day, instead bring back the time of simplicity and class and gift a tea set.A traditional tea set includes a teapot, tea cups with saucers, a sugar bowl and a creamer.The more formal you get, think silver tea sets from famous paintings, the more stuff that gets added to the service.

Tea sets started in China during the Han Dynasty in 206 BCE but tea was served in bricks and ground up with other spices and served in multi-function bowls rather than out of a teapot.Tea was also used mainly for medicinal purposes rather than just for drinking.Teapots themselves were developed during the Song Dynasty in 960 CE, as archaeological digs found a Yixing teapot dating to that time period.From then on, tea was a common occurrence and the teapot was the way to go.

When purchasing a teapot, either for yourself or as a gift, you must consider the type of drinking that will occur. For the common consumer, a simple ceramic or porcelain tea set would be the best option, as it’s easy to clean and easy to switch between teas. The more into tea you get, the more you’d want to consider getting a cast iron or a bone china pot, which is an easy way to brew a great cup of tea or a glass pot, which lets you see your tea steep and be able to decide when your tea has reached perfection. Glass teapots also let you enjoy the beauty of blooming teas, which don’t always taste the best, but are very lovely to watch and are always a nice gift to give to the tea lover in your life.

For the most serious tea drinkers, consider the Yixing teapot. They are the most famous teapots and considered to give the most pure experience when drinking tea. This teapot is unglazed clay and must be used with only one type of tea, like Jasmine Dragon Pearls from Teavana, as the teapot will take on a patina and help develop a deeper taste when drinking tea from a seasoned pot.

Now, as far as pricing, teapots and tea sets can really range. A simple porcelain teapot can be grabbed at Target for under $12. Teavana is a great resource for those looking for loose teas and tea accessories, as they’re located all over the United States and there’s even one right here in Quail Bell's native Richmond, Virginia at Short Pump Mall. Their teapots range from $30 for a glass teapot, to just over $50 for a beautiful blue cast iron teapot [on sale!] and even to $150 for a very elaborate Yixing teapot. When looking for the right one for you, it’s all about your needs and your budget.

Whichever teapot you decide on, be it porcelain or bone china, setting aside some time to drink tea is a great way to unwind from a long day or warm up from the bitter winter cold.